29TH
by Elliott Desai
What’s your suggestion to move people through time and space? To return outside and be among each other.
To know our neighborhoods.
How do you encourage friends and collaborators to socialize within their communities?
To be in accessible spaces for their own benefit.
A few locations come to mind, like community gardens, public parks, libraries, beaches, spiritual buildings...
But where else can we go? And the main objective?
Well, it’s in your name.
You’re a 1) human 2) being.
A breathing person who is here, right now, to be.
Your only purpose is the act of living.
The doing of the day. The act of being.
You’re alive to honor your instincts - to navigate each day without worries, fears, or compromising your dreams.
You exist to express yourself.
And you already know this truth.
You already know that you’re an innately curious, ever-evolving, infinitely changing self-expression.
Yet this knowing can sometimes slip away, and peaceful settings are kismet for recentering this mindfulness.
Mindfulness as an open path to welcoming gratitude and seeing reality as fascinating.
Mindfulness as awareness of molecules, energy, matter - all things - as the universe unfolding in infinite varieties.
Mindfulness as consciousness in deep breaths and slow movements to feel this resonance all the time.
It’s helpful to engage with daily reminders that clue you back in, too. For example, your own passions:
These are activities ‘not aimed at survival,’ and therefore the very essence of living... the very essence of presence
Presence as a natural instinct to be yourself.
Presence as the reason all things are working out.
Presence as your self-esteem rooted in joy and bliss.
Presence as a flourishing, responsible, self-fulfilling choice.
All interactions are the natural unfolding of humans being, and there’s no reason to worry about life’s changes. However... life is always changing.
I’ve been pondering the solar system’s patterns ever since the Eclipse. I’ve never written or shared a poem before, but these words flowed through me two weeks later:
I’m standing on the edge of the Hudson River
Facing west as the sun descends into distance
This feeling is familiar
Like lounging on the back of a boat, a flatbed truck, or looking out the rear window of a high-speed train
Watching the surroundings blur by and disappear over the horizon
I’m reminded of the earth rotating on its axis, currently spinning eastward at 1,040 miles per hour.
And I think of some friends,
Who chat about routines
Who believe in expectations
Who seek stability or predictability
Who create identities out of their struggles
Who retell experiences as hardships
And I empathize with their perspective - this common belief to uphold all thoughts as true.
Yet there’s no reason to perceive life as difficult
There’s no benefit to preoccupation with the past
(especially when Earth is moving forward at 1,525 feet per second)
When nothing stays the same, why fortify your own grievances?
When all conflict is a creation of the mind, why prolong your own frustrations?
I’m inhaling and exhaling slowly, turning east to face the Midtown skyline
Dogs running by and birds flying in the sky
I’m watching clouds move overhead and I’m overhearing snippets of conversations
I’m grateful to be alive. I’m grateful to be outside.
And I’m amazed that anything is happening at all.
There’s nothing to win, or a destination to arrive
My unique life is progressing one day at a time
Perpetually fluctuating...
Silly to think anything would remain the same as we speed east at 17 miles a minute
Evident in every moonrise and sunset that reality is naturally flowing and unfolding
We are human beings human being
And every moment is a unique shade in the totality of being alive
The 29th Presence Almanac is about guiding people to visual and performing art and engaging with life to learn, grow, and communicate our ideas through words, images, and movements.
Outcomes of presence and embodiments of being.
A core element of my artistic practice is discovering and amplifying this evidence of presence all around us.
There are infinite ways to express our being, and these next 86 pages are a public resource for enthusiasts to see new work on view right now.
I arrived on a hazy afternoon for a spectacular reason: Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys is on view through July 7 at the Brooklyn Museum.
The title references Swizz Beatz (Kasseem Dean) and Alicia Keys as cultural giants who support living artists. By illuminating the Black diaspora and acquiring pieces from multigenerational creatives, this collection is “by the artists, for the artists, with the people.”
As artists themselves, the couple understands what it takes “to make something out of nothing,” “create a vision that nobody could see before you executed it,” and this exhibit champions the belief that “everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy art, cultivate a relationship with creativity, and build their own artistic community.”
By celebrating Blackness, critiquing society, and collecting these legendary works, Swizz and Alicia also aim to help their own kids, “know our stories in much deeper ways.”
I explored every floor of the museum during my visit, and these selections from the Dean Collection are the primary pieces that lingered on my mind.
My favorite works are made by revolutionary artists Kehinde Wiley, Nick Cave, Titus Kaphar, Barkley L. Hendricks (d. 2017), Kwame Brathwaite (d. 2023) and Jamel Shabazz.
I love the intention of this show and highly recommend visiting the museum through July 7. First Saturdays, a free program that includes admission, continues this June 1.
I flew into New York City on March 30 and my first sublet is off Myrtle Ave and Broadway. If you’re familiar with my first 28 books, you know I love to walk.
In these 45 days, I’ve explored Bushwick, Williamsburg, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Greenpoint and Queens to visit Long Island City, Jackson Heights and Ridgewood.
Living among the locals and discovering embodiments of presence is the daily adventure. Yet as I travel to more cities, searching “coffee shop near me” has become a preliminary map.
There are hundreds of hotels, bodegas, salons, grocers, bars and restaurants that span every street of the world.
And while these spaces are all opportunities to exhibit visual and performing artists (the hospitality and tourism industries are still catching up), my 5-hour walks are best experienced when routed as a meandering path towards coffee shops and parks.
So that’s what I do every day. I wake up, look for a new cafe near me, and the journey begins.
As I wander these neighborhoods and archive clues for where to explore next, a main curiosity on my mind is the negotiation between public and private space.
Implied in the first page, this advancement of arts & culture is about identifying unique, untraditional spaces for the public to congregate, be present, and enjoy artwork.
So a few weeks ago, I learned that New York City adopted a zoning resolution in 1961 that incentived and allowed private developers to build an extra 16 million square feet for their provision of 500+ plazas, arcades, and 80 acres of outdoor and indoor space. 100 more POPS (Privately Owned Public Space) have been added since 2000.
However, this resolution did not impose any meaningful standards for the design and operation of POPS - nothing about seating, landscaping, materials, or sunlight exposure.
New laws have led to better spaces, but the Department of City Planning and Municipal Art Society of New York are still assessing how to make this quantity of public space yield more quality environments. Most POPS are located in Manhattan, but a few spaces exist in Brooklyn and Queens.
So on April 17, I searched apops.mas.org/find-a-pops, found 501 Bushwick Avenue, and discovered Lovebirds Wine Gallery on the first floor of a residential building.
To my delightful surprise, they’re currently showing Awake but still dreaming: The poetic nature of the subconscious, a collection of new paintings by local artist Jak Ruiz.
I returned the next evening for the opening reception and enjoyed 3 hours of wine, conversation, and art. This night was a definitive feature for the Presence Almanac, and I love the poetic scenes in Jak’s pieces, on view right now.
Then on April 21, I routed a 4-mile path around Irving Square Park with cafes and gardens as guideposts.
This afternoon led to visiting House Party Cafe and finding new pieces by Bora Uyumazturk on their walls. I set daily intentions to discover people like Bora, and spending a moment with these still life paintings fulfilled it.
A few weeks prior, I found myself reclining at Maria Hernandez Park - the largest community space and center of life in Bushwick. Whether I’m on my way to a train or a local bar, these 6.87 acres are always filled with music, laughter and families basking in the sunshine.
Around the corner is Nook - a large coffeehouse that’s become the setting of my Monday afternoons, and MINIMAL NYC - a tattoo parlor using its entryway as a gallery, previously showing Taj León’s JARDIN DE SUEÑOS: Un Gran Privilegío.
This Garden of Dreams stood as a “testament to the power of art to transcend the boundaries of the physical world.” The central labyrinthine is an entry point “where the laws of physics and time bend” and an invitation to “plant our dreams in the fertile soil of imagination and patiently await the ushering in of new realities.”
Taj and I are clearly operating on the same wavelength, with alchemy and quantum entanglement as core themes in this show to offer a “glimpse into the infinite possibilities that await when we dare to dream beyond the stars.”
On April 28, I was walking around Bedford-Stuyvesant, listening to percussion instrumentals, and happened upon Garden of Hope at 392 Hancock St.
Adopted in 2006 by interior designer Ellie Cullman, this garden is dedicated to the community’s need for open, green space. In 2019, it was outfitted with a water supply and irrigation system by New York Restoration Project (an environmental nonprofit founded by Bette Midler).
As the photographer of these pages, I include images of each neighborhood to immerse a viewer in the reality of each day and afternoon. However, scenic photos are oftentimes features in themselves - accessible spaces in your nieghborhoods to gather for quiet contemplation.
Additionally, it’s becoming clear that cafes & shops have an opportunity - and a responsibility - to exhibit the works of local visual artists and advance their presence.
On my first weekday in NYC, I visited the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) - a wonderful way to learn about the five boroughs’ 400+ year history.
Byzantine Bembé: New York is about Manny Vega, an artist whose mosaics and murals adorn street walls, subway stations, cultural centers, and business facades throughout East Harlem (MCNY’s own neighborhood.)
Manny’s work is colorful, danceable, and passionately spiritual - “rooted in an idiosyncratic understanding of the diaspora experience” including El Bronx, El Barrio, and Bahia, Brazil. On view through December 8, Manny’s style is dubbed Byzantine Hip-Hop for his Mediterranean mosaic-making and hyper-detailed drawings.
Frederick Brosen is a local artist well known as a “meticulous visual chronicler of New York City’s streets” and Four Seasons of Central Park, a quartet of watercolor paintings, is on view through June 16.
I also love pieces by Salman Toor and Reginald Marsh (d. 1954) in This Is New York: 100 Years of the City in Art and Pop Culture On view through July 21 to honor MCNY’s centennial anniversary and explore storytelling in various art forms - including You Are Here, a 16-screen film cut together from hundreds of movies made about NYC.
Founded in 1894, Pen + Brush is dedicated to empowering suppressed writers and artists. Hit Me With Your Best Shot is a group exhibition centered around what’s at stake for women artists and acknowledging the profound impact women have in sparking dialogues and igniting change.
My favorite pieces are made by Miriam Medrez, Lania Roberts, Chayse Sampy, and it was a joy speaking with Pen + Brush Executive Director Dawn Delikat.
Tribeca, an abbreviation for Triangle Below Canal Street, continues to grow as a cultural hot spot for commercial galleries. This lower-Manhattan neighborhood spans west towards the river, but the greatest density of living visual artists are within the eastern corner bordered by Lafayette Street, Leonard Street, and West Broadway.
It should be no surprise that I’ve already walked up and down the intersecting roads countless times. Two urban plazas and Columbus Park are south of this creative hub, and my first feature about Tribeca includes six galleries:
I first visited Almine Rech for the closing reception of Oliver Beer’s Resonance Paintings – Cat Orchestra.
Since his early childhood, Oliver has been listening to the harmonic pitch of rooms (a note known as the Helmholtz resonance) and he’s been trying to tune them for years.
In Cat Orchestra, he’s connected live microphones to cat-shaped vases that feed into a custom-built keyboard and synthesizer - each cat’s resonance corresponds with a specific note. When a key is played, the internal microphone reveals the sounds already there.
Oliver is also using these vibrations to create Resonance Paintings. He cast powdered pigment onto canvases and laid them flat over an amplifier of distorted cat voices. By manipulating sound waves and harmonies, these abstract forms are “painted” by an invisible hand.
I thoroughly enjoy the inventiveness of his work, and Holland Andrews joined on April 27 for a hypnotizing performance alongside the cat orchestra.
I then returned a week later for the opening receptions of Thu-Van Tran‘s In spring, ghosts return and Leelee Kimmel’s The Wilds and the Shore - on view till June 15.
Leelee is sharing her take on abstract expressionism, each piece busy with physicality and endless storylines, while Thu-Van continues, on a more intimate scale, a series she began in 2012 as a “poetic reckoning” with Operation Ranch Hand.
From 1962-1971, the United States sprayed 19 million gallons of chemical weapons onto the jungles of Vietnam, causing decades of ecological and human devastation. Agents Orange, White, Blue, Pink, Green, and Purple were the lethal herbicides, and these are the colors Thu-Van uses to produce her newest paintings.
One of my favorite discoveries occurred earlier in April: Sanam Khatibi‘s We Wait Until Dark at P·P·O·W Gallery.
Intertwining figurative landscapes with still life, Sanam shares a window into the memento mori of her imagination - citing “The Garden of Earthly Delights” by Hieronymous Bosch as an early inspiration since the age of 5.
These paintings portray the “most feral qualities for survival” and a spiritual afterlife of skulls, amulets, creatures, and a ghostly goddess sprawled out on “verdant, savage land beyond civilization.”
On this same day, I found myself dazzled by Kris Lemsalu’s One foot in the gravy at Margot Samel
A multidisciplinary Estonian artist, Kris celebrates the infinite joy of being alive and the fragility of our existence. Emphasizing life’s different stages, Kris explores cycles of birth, life, death, and rebirth. Tongues appear in various sizes and formats throughout her show, a symbol that Kris correlates to the Hindu deity Kali who “extended her tongue in the ecstasy of dancing to drink the blood of demons,” resulting in a triumph over negative forces.
To Kris, these pieces evoke both laughter and fear, and honor “the passage of time and commemorating life with flowers.” In town for ESTHER art fair, Kris performed with her work on opening night and I photographed the scene.
Across the street at George Adams Gallery is Chris Ballantyne’s Real Estate Developments on view till May 24.
Moving often throughout his childhood, Chris uses raw birchwood panels to enhance these compositions and infuse these quiet landscapes with an implied human presence and an “unsettling sense of stillness.”
Next door at Chapter NY was Milano Chow‘s Yesterday’s - a series of imaginary sites from drawings, graphite renderings and collaged photo transfers.
Milano references “Neoclassical, faux-Italian, and Spanish-revival facades and features” and the patchwork architectural styles of Los Angeles for an “unabashed use of imitation and revivalism.” I immediately recognized this work from seeing Milano’s pieces back in 2023 at an art fair in Los Angeles.
One block south at Asya Geisberg Gallery was Jakub Tomáš’s The Field Robot of Myself.
Jakub “situates his exuberant painting in sculpture and collage, using cardboard models and theatrical lighting imbued with his study of theatrical scenic design to generate enigmatic or absurdist scenes.” Calling on a history of Czech claymation, puppetry, and folk art, Jakub’s surrealism is a playful reference to his childhood of carnivals, ritualistic processions, and local traditions.
Opened by Damon Crain in 2020, Culture Object builds on his art and design knowledge to provide a program that “gives form to an expanded vision of contemporary art by engaging functional typologies.”
Concentrating on conceptual and functional approaches, Damon is elevating material exploration, skillful manufacturing and technical innovation. Current works are on view till May 31 and my favorite pieces are made by Leckie Gassman and Judit Just Antelo.
This neighborhood is popular for its high concentration of artists, and at the end of April, I found myself walking up every floor of 548 West 22nd Street for Printed Matter’s NY Art Book Fair (NYABF), and again one week later for NADA’s (New Art Dealers Alliance) 2024 NY art fair.
In this first month of New York, I’ve enjoyed walking beneath the High Line and relaxing near Chelsea Piers / Hudson River Park - public lawns, walking paths and outdoor amenities for locals to enjoy. For this first feature about Chelsea, here’s three programs I enjoyed in April:
Skye Gallery Aspen (founded by Skye Weinglass) is within the High Line Nine building and Spencer Hansen’s Tethered Worlds is on view till May 26.
Using metal, leather, wood, ceramic, bone, and hair, Spencer’s handmade creatures explore themes of fragility, metamorphosis and encourage the viewer to reflect on their own relationship with vulnerability and play.
In the same building, UTA extended its commitment to artistry with a pop-up “UTA Artist Space” and Will Maxen’s And The Land Stands Still was on view from April 4 - 25. During my visit, Will and I chatted about his new paintings and recent move from Houston to NYC.
His work orbits around themes of the family tree, exploring the tension between rootedness and uprootedness, the complexities of growing up mixed-race, and the omnipresence of oranges when he moved from Connecticut to Davis, California.
Then across the street are new paintings and drawings by Lucy Mackenzie at Nancy Hoffman Gallery on view till May 25. The sheer skill exhibited in these works beckons true presence almost immediately.
Only measuring 3” x 3” up to 4” x 7” in size, Lucy dedicates several months to creating a single piece - encouraging the viewer to ‘stop and smell the roses’ through odes to her childhood in the Isles of Scilly and in scenes of a pure, uncluttered world. The paintings are so lifelike, you might think you’re seeing a photo of a photo.
The Presence Almanac is a real-time reflection by Elliott Desai: attend live shows and experience arts & culture all year-round.
Let go of the past, release worries about the future, and discover visual artists showing new work right now.
Elliott is celebrating your investment in being — affirming that life is more humorous and humane when it flows from the happiest, most natural version of you.
Please enjoy this guide to peaceful places and awe-inspiring self-expressions.
Sincerely, Elliott Desai
MAY 15, 2024
WAXING GIBBOUS
by Elliott
Photo Desai
© Kehinde Wiley | Portrait of Alicia Keys Dean, 2024 — Oil on linen
Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and the Brooklyn Museum
© Nick Cave | Tondo, 2018 — Mixed media
Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys
Photo by Elliott Desai Courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum
© Titus Kaphar | A Puzzled Revolution, 2021 — Oil on canvas Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum
© Kwame Brathwaite | Untitled (Radiah Frye Who Embraced Natural Hairstyles at AJASS Photoshoot), circa 1970, printed 2018 — Pigmented inkjet prints Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys
Photo by Elliott Desai Courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum
© Barkley L. Hendricks | Rainbow Sky at Sunset, 1997 — Oil on linen Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum
© Jamel Shabazz | Watch the Closing Doors, Brooklyn, NYC, 1980 — Chromogenic print Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum
© Jamel Shabazz | Rude Boy, Brooklyn, NYC, 1980 — Chromogenic print Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum
© Jak Ruiz | A journey through the subconscious, 2024 — Acrylic on canvas
Awake but still dreaming: The poetic nature of the subconscious
Photo by Elliott Desai Courtesy of the artist and Lovebirds Wine Gallery
© Jak Ruiz Awake but still dreaming: The poetic nature of the subconscious
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and Lovebirds Wine Gallery
© Jak Ruiz | Wild life beach party, 2024 — Acrylic and flashe on canvas
Awake but still dreaming: The poetic nature of the subconscious
Photo by Elliott Desai Courtesy of the artist and Lovebirds Wine Gallery
© Bora Uyumazturk | Refurbishing, 2023 — Oil on panel
© Bora Uyumazturk | Still Life with Lemon, 2023 — Oil on panel
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and House Party Cafe
© Bora Uyumazturk | Untitled, 2023 — Oil on panel
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and House Party Cafe
© Taj JARDINLeón DE SUEÑOS : Un Gran Privilegío
Photo by Elliott Desai Courtesy of the artist and MINIMAL NYC
Garden of Hope
Photo by Elliott Desai
Garden of Hope
Photo by Elliott Desai
Photo by Elliott Desai
Brooklyn, New York
Photo by Elliott Desai Brooklyn, New York
John Ahearn | Manny Vega, 2021 — Oil on fiberglass Byzantine Bembé: New York
Courtesy of the artist and the Museum of the City of New York
© Manny Vega | Musa del monte, 2022 — Colored glass on plaster Byzantine Bembé: New York
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and the Museum of the City of New York
© Manny Vega | Tito Puente, 2009 — Colored glass on plaster Byzantine Bembé: New York
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and the Museum of the City of New York
© Frederick Brosen | Spring, The Burnett Fountain, 2023
Watercolor over graphite on paper
Four Seasons of Central Park
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and the Museum of the City of New York
© Frederick Brosen | Summer, Belvedere Castle, 2023
Watercolor over graphite on paper
Four Seasons of Central Park
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and the Museum of the City of New York
© Salman Toor | Bar Boy, 2019 — Oil on wood
This Is New York
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of the City of New York
© Reginald Marsh | Twenty Cent Movie, 1936
Carbon pencil, ink, and oil on composition board
This Is New York
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of the City of New York
© Miriam Medrez | Nest, 2023 — Textile, metal
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and Pen + Brush
© Chayse Sampy | Mami WAP, 2023 — Oil, charcoal on canvas, embroidery floss, hair weaving thread
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and Pen + Brush
© Lania Roberts | We Hold Each Other Up, 2023 — Acrylic on canvas
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and Pen + Brush
© Oliver Beer | Cat Orchestra, 2024
37 hollow cat vessels, sculptures, plinths, microphones, speakers, audio equipment Resonance Paintings – Cat Orchestra
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and Almine Rech
Oliver Beer and Holland Andrews Resonance Paintings – Cat Orchestra
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and Almine Rech
© Oliver Beer | Resonance Painting (bless ur heart), 2024 — Pigment on canvas Resonance Paintings – Cat Orchestra
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and Almine Rech
© Oliver Beer | Resonance Painting (ride the dragon), 2024 — Pigment on canvas Resonance Paintings – Cat Orchestra
Photo by Elliott Desai Courtesy of the artist and Almine Rech
© Thu-Van Tran | Colors of Grey, 2024 — Lime, pigment and binder on linen canvas
In spring, ghosts return
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and Almine Rech
© Thu-Van Tran | Triptych 1, 2024 — Lime, pigment and binder on linen canvas
In spring, ghosts return
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and Almine Rech
© Thu-Van Tran | Colors of Grey, 2024 — Lime, pigment and binder on linen canvas
In spring, ghosts return
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and Almine Rech
© Leelee Kimmel | Untwisted, 2020-2024 — Oil on canvas
The Wilds and the Shore
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and Almine Rech
© Leelee Kimmel | Pinball, 2018/21/23/24 — Acrylic and oil on canvas
The Wilds and the Shore
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and Almine Rech
© Sanam Khatibi | Where our love once lay, a dark and tortured jungle grew, 2023
Oil and pencil on canvas
We Wait Until Dark
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and P·P·O·W Gallery
© Sanam Khatibi |Then I became so human that I grew delicate, 2023 — Oil on panel
We Wait Until Dark
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and P·P·O·W Gallery
© Sanam Khatibi | Amulet (v), 2024 — Oil on panel
We Wait Until Dark
Photo by Elliott Desai Courtesy of the artist and P·P·O·W Gallery
© Sanam Khatibi | Overnight Black Aphids appeared, growing on the tips of the Sophora Sun King, 2023
Oil on canvas
We Wait Until Dark
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and P·P·O·W Gallery
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and ESTHER art fair
© Kris Lemsalu | Put the lime in the coconut, 2024 Performance, wood, metal, ceramics, and textile
© Kris Lemsalu | One foot in the gravy, 2024 — Ceramics and crystals
One foot in the gravy
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and Margot Samel
© Kris Lemsalu | Morning, 2024 — Ceramic and metal
One foot in the gravy
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and Margot Samel
© Kris Lemsalu | A from VITA, 2024 — Ceramic, textile, wood and metal
One foot in the gravy
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and Margot Samel
Photo by Elliott Desai Courtesy of the artist and Chapter NY
© Milano Chow | Half Corner, 2024
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and Chapter NY
© Chris Ballantyne | Deep End, 2024 — Acrylic on panel
© Chris Ballantyne | Housetops, 2023 — Acrylic on panel
Real Estate Developments
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and George Adams Gallery
© Jakub Tomáš | Someone is Watching, 2023 — Oil on canvas
The Field Robot of Myself
Photo by Elliott Desai Courtesy of the artist and Asya Geisberg Gallery
© Jakub Tomáš | Someone is Watching, 2023 — Oil on canvas
The Field Robot of Myself
Photo by Elliott Desai Courtesy of the artist and Asya Geisberg Gallery
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of Culture Object
© Leckie Gassman
I’m Mad You’re Mad — Vase, etched, cut, sandblasted (left)
Six Sad Clowns — Vase, etched, cut, sandblasted (middle)
Untitled — Blue Cold Cut Taco Bowl (right)
Photo by Elliott Desai Courtesy of Culture Object
© Judit Just Antelo | Kaleidoscopic Portal 2: Stepping Out of Darkness
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of Culture Object
© Judit Just Antelo
© Spencer Hansen | MEANY #2, 2022
— Indigo dyed horse hair, ceramic, brass Tethered Worlds Courtesy of the artist and Skye Gallery Aspen
© Spencer Hansen | Quinn, 2022 — Monkey Pod wood, brass, copper, skull Tethered Worlds
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and Skye Gallery Aspen
© Spencer Hansen | SK-21, 2022 — Monkey Pod wood, ceramic, copper, glass
Tethered Worlds
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and Skye Gallery Aspen
© Will Maxen | Untitled (salvaged), 2024 — Oil on canvas in artist made frame
And The Land Stands Still
Photo by Elliott Desai Courtesy of the artist and UTA Artist Space
© Will Maxen | Untitled (abundance), 2024 — Oil on canvas in artist made frame
And The Land Stands Still
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and UTA Artist Space
© Will Maxen | Davis Orange Trees 3, 2023 — Oil, gesso, graphite, house paint on canvas
And The Land Stands Still
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and UTA Artist Space
© Lucy Mackenzie | Palermo Lemon, 2022 — Oil on board
New Paintings and Drawings
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and Nancy Hoffman Gallery
© Lucy Mackenzie | Pink Boat, 2021 — Oil on board
New Paintings and Drawings
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and Nancy Hoffman Gallery
© Lucy Mackenzie | Model Aeroplane on a Chair, 2023 — Oil on board
New Paintings and Drawings
Photo by Elliott Desai
Courtesy of the artist and Nancy Hoffman Gallery
by Elliott
Photo DesaiGiants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys
February 10 – July 7, 2024 brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/giants
Kehinde Wiley kehindewiley.com
Nick Cave instagram.com/nickcaveart
Titus Kaphar kapharstudio.com
Barkley L. Hendricks barkleylhendricks.com
Kwame Brathwaite kwamebrathwaite.com
Jamel Shabazz jamelshabazzphotographer.com
Brooklyn Museum 200 Eastern Parkway Brooklyn, NY 11238 brooklynmuseum.org
Jak Ruiz Awake but still dreaming: The poetic nature of the subconscious May 15 onward instagram.com/jakruiz.art
Lovebirds Wine Gallery 501 Bushwick Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11206 lovebirdswine.com
Bora Uyumazturk May 15 onward instagram.com/borauyumazturk
House Party Cafe 1178 Bushwick Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11221
Taj León
JARDIN DE SUEÑOS : Un Gran Privilegío April 6 - May 4, 2024 instagram.com/tajleon
MINIMAL NYC 333 Troutman Street Brooklyn, NY 11237 minimalnyc.com
Garden of Hope 392 Hancock Street Brooklyn, NY 11216 nyrp.org/en/gardens-and-parks/garden-of-hope
Manny Vega
Byzantine Bembé: New York
December 8, 2023 - December 8, 2024 instagram.com/mannyvega.nyc
Frederick Brosen
Four Seasons of Central Park February 9 – June 16, 2024 frederickbrosen.com
This Is New York May 26, 2023 - June 21, 2024
Salman Toor instagram.com/salman.toor
Reginald Marsh mcny.org/exhibition/new-york-100
Museum of the City of New York 1220 5th Ave
New York, NY 10029 mcny.org
Oliver Beer
Resonance Paintings – Cat Orchestra
March 14 - April 27, 2024 alminerech.com/artists/394-oliver-beer
Thu-Van Tran
In spring, ghosts return May 7 - June 15, 2024 alminerech.com/artists/325-thu-van-tran
Leelee Kimmel
The Wilds and the Shore May 7 - June 15, 2024 alminerech.com/artists/342-leelee-kimmel
Almine Rech
361 Broadway New York, NY 10013 alminerech.com
Sanam Khatibi
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
March 7 – April 20, 2024
Miriam Medrez instagram.com/miriammedrez
Chayse Sampy instagram.com/chaysetheartist
Lania Roberts instagram.com/laniaroberts
Pen + Brush
29 East 22nd Street
New York, NY 10010 penandbrush.org
We Wait Until Dark April 12 - May 11, 2024 ppowgallery.com/artists/sanam-khatibi
P·P·O·W Gallery 392 Broadway New York, NY 10013 ppowgallery.com
Kris Lemsalu
One foot in the gravy April 5 - May 11, 2024 margotsamel.com/artist/kris-lemsalu
Margot Samel
295 Church Street New York, NY 10013 www.margotsamel.com
Milano Chow
Yesterday’s
April 5 - May 4, 2024 chapter-ny.com/artists/milano-chow
Chapter NY 60 Walker Street New York, NY 10013 chapter-ny.com
Chris Ballantyne Real Estate Developments
April 12 – May 24, 2024 georgeadamsgallery.com/artists/chris-ballantyne
George Adams Gallery 38 Walker Steet New York, NY 10013 georgeadamsgallery.com
Jakub Tomáš
The Field Robot of Myself
March 8 - April 20, 2024 asyageisberggallery.com/artists/jakub-tomas
Asya Geisberg Gallery 45 White Street New York, NY 10013 asyageisberggallery.com
March 21 - May 31, 2024
Leckie Gassman instagram.com/leckiegassman
Judit Just Antelo instagram.com/_jujujust_
Culture Object 344 West 38th Street New York, NY 10018 cultureobject.com
Spencer Hansen Tethered Worlds
April 4 - May 26, 2024 skyegalleryaspen.com/exhibitions/tethered-worlds
Skye Gallery Aspen 508 West 28th Street New York, NY 10001 skyegalleryaspen.com
Will Maxen And The Land Stands Still April 4 - 25, 2024 instagram.com/williemaxen
UTA Artist Space Pop-Up
507 West 27th Street New York, NY 10001 utaartistspace.com
Lucy Mackenzie
New Paintings and Drawings
March 21 - May 25, 2024 nancyhoffmangallery.com/exhibitionlucy-mackenzie-2024
Nancy Hoffman Gallery 520 West 27th Street New York, NY 10001 nancyhoffmangallery.com
Standing on the edge of the Hudson River, 2024
May 15, 2024
New York, NY
© Elliott Desai